Have you ever seen the face of a child who has just had a gigantic ice cream sundae or a piece of their favorite cake brought to the table for a surprise dessert? Notice the eyes. You can see the joy, excitement and happiness dancing in them. If you have ever been truly thrilled to see someone or had your own favorite dessert presented to you, you can probably picture exactly how it feels when your own eyes light up that way.
That look is the look the students in your Bible class or faith based tutoring program need to see in your eyes every time you look at them. To a child or a teen, that look of joy in your eyes, means you love them. It tells them you are thrilled they are in your class. It reflects God’s love to them in a very tangible way.
It’s important every child in your class sees that same joy in your eyes every time you see him or her. Even if it is the child who misbehaves constantly. Or you run into her at the grocery store. Every child in your class, every time you see him or her should be able to look into your eyes and see you sincerely love them and by extension that God loves them.
If you find yourself struggling with this, practice in a mirror. Ask a friend to help you. Do whatever you have to in order to master the sparkle in your eyes that tells your students you care. Because there is nothing sadder than a child searching eyes for love that isn’t reflected there.